New Delhi, Nov 28 (IANS): Opposition parties on Monday staged a protest against the demonetisation of higher currency notes near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament House complex as both houses of parliament witnessed pandemonium over the issue.

Leaders from the Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, the DMK and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) protested in the Parliament House precincts.

The protest was led by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

However, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress and Janata Dal United (JDU) stayed away from the protest, which was mainly a Congress show.

Later, Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav told IANS that his party was "kept in the dark" over the protest.

"Hamein to wahan hona hi nahi tha (We were not supposed to be there). The opposition parties had a meeting in the morning. This protest was not discussed then. We were kept in the dark," Yadav said.

However, he added that his party was with the rest of the opposition in observing 'Akrosh Diwas' (protest day).

Both houses of Parliament have seen repeated adjournments since the beginning of the winter session on November 16 over the demonetisation that has triggered a cash crunch in the country.